Sometimes people spend more time and effort shopping around for a car mechanic than they do for a plastic surgeon. The death of rapper Kanye West's mother, Donda West, serves as a reminder that cosmetic surgery is not merely a beauty treatment.

According to 2005 statistics released by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a specialty group for certified plastic surgeons who focus on the face, head and neck, 34% of those surveyed report that more people are getting plastic surgery with a companion.

Ever since women began enlarging their breasts with implants, feminists have been upset. So, predictably, when a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel begins hearings today to consider approval of silicone-gel-filled breast implants, feminist health activists will urge them to reject the devices as unsafe. But the data emphatically do not justify their concern.

As I waited for a routine skin check at my dermatologist's office, a flier caught my eye. My doctor was offering a special: If a patient organized a Botox party with six or more guests, he would give the organizer free Botox injections and bring complimentary hors d'oeuvres to the party.